About the French Horn

The horn (informally known also as the French horn) is a brass instrument descended from the natural horn that consists of about 12 feet of tubing (for a single horn in the key of F), wrapped into a compact, coiled form with a flared bell.

Most horns have finger-operated valves (a horn without valves is known as a natural horn, and some horns such as the Vienna horn use piston valves). A single horn, which will usually be tuned to either F or B♭, has three valves; the more common double horn has two sets of tubing (generally F and B♭) and a fourth valve, operated by the thumb, which routes the air flow to one or other set. Triple horns, with five valves, are also made.

The single horn is usually pitched in the key of F, although smaller instruments (for children) may be pitched in B♭. Compared to the other brass instruments in the orchestra, it has a very different mouthpiece, but has the widest range - approximately four octaves (depending on the ability of the player). To produce different notes on the horn, one must do many things - the three most important are pressing the valves, producing the appropriate amount of lip tension, and blowing air into the instrument. More lip tension and faster air produces higher notes. Less lip tension and slower air produces lower notes. The horn plays in a higher portion of its overtone series than most brass instruments. Its conical bore is largely responsible for its characteristic tone, often described as "mellow."

Early horns were much simpler than modern horns. These early horns were brass tubes with a flared opening (the bell) wound around a few times. These early "hunting" horns were originally played on a hunt, often while mounted. Change of pitch was effected entirely by the lips (the horn not being equipped with valves until the 19th century). The horn was used to call hounds on a hunt and created a sound most like a human voice, but carried much farther.

In orchestral settings, the horn (or, more often, pairs of horns) often invoked the idea of the hunt, or, beginning in the later baroque, determined the character of the key being played or represented nobility, royalty, or divinity.

In the mid-18th century, horn players began to insert the right hand into the bell to change the length of the instrument, adjusting the tuning up to the distance between two adjacent harmonics depending on how much of the opening was covered. This technique, known as hand-stopping, is generally credited to A. J. Hampel around 1750, and was refined and carried to much of Europe by the influential Giovanni Punto. This offered more possibilities for playing notes not on the harmonic series. By the early classical period, the horn had become an instrument capable of much melodic playing.

Around 1815 the use of pistons (later rotary valves) was introduced, initially to overcome problems associated with changing crooks during a performance. The use of valves opened up a great deal more flexibility in playing in different keys; in effect, the horn became an entirely different instrument, fully chromatic for the first time, although valves were originally used primarily as a means to play in different keys without crooks, not for harmonic playing. That is reflected in compositions for horns, which only began to include chromatic passages in the late 19th century. When valves were invented, the French made smaller horns with piston valves and the Germans made larger horns with rotary valves. It is the German horn that is referred to in America as the French horn. Many traditional conservatories and players refused to transition at first, claiming that the valveless horn, or 'natural horn,' was a better instrument. Some musicians still use a natural horn when playing in original performance styles, seeking to recapture the sound and tenor in which an older piece was written.

Orchestral horns are traditionally grouped into "high" horn and "low" horn pairs. Players specialize to negotiate the unusually wide range required of the instrument.

"Horn (instrument)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Apr 2008, 14:00 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horn_%28instrument%29&oldid= 207858551>.